Basic Elements of a Religion: Wisdom, Works, and Worship
Religion – derived from the Latin word religio, meaning “to bind”. A person or community “bound” itself to something that was worthy of reverence or respect.
Most religions share many, if not all, of the following characteristics:
§ A belief in the supernatural and in a spiritual world beyond our physical material world
§ A belief in the existence of a soul
§ A collection of sacred writings or scriptures
§ Organized institutions
§ A strong sense of family and community based on rituals and festivals that represent and celebrate shared beliefs and practices
§ A set of answers about the most pressing human questions – Ie – meaning of suffering
§ Rules of conduct to help followers lead an honorable life
§ A system of ethics that offers a guide to moral behaviour
§ Significant founders or inspired leaders who introduced or spurred the development of the faith
§ A search for perfection or salvation
§ A life of faith and worship
§ Techniques for focusing or concentrating one’s awareness
§ An enriching impact on the lives of its adherents
Excerpt from Exploring World Religions p.6
Wisdom
1. Religious Experience – many religions have begun as the result of the religious experience of individuals.
Example: When the Buddha experienced enlightenment under the bodhi tree, Buddhism was born. When Muhammad began to experience revelations from Allah, Islam was born.
2. Sacred Writings
Sacred writings share the same key dimensions:
· Origin story
· History of the formation of a community of faith
· Creed – the community’s fundamental statements about God or the meaning of life
· Cult – the forms of worship or celebration
· Code – the moral conduct people are to follow
World Religions: People and Faith p. 11
o Doctrine – Religions have documents which may contain doctrine, teachings, creeds, experiences, etc which usually stem from religious experience.
o Sacred Stories – myths: not false stories, but truth stories intended to convey sacred truths (Ie- For Christians, the story of Creation). For some religions these sacred stories are part of sacred history.
o Empirical History – some historical events (Ie- birth of Muhammed or the Exodus of the Jews) become part of a religion’s sacred history. Empirical history is that which is verifiable from other sources.
Works
§ All religions encourage a life that requires goodness in the here and now. This can be demonstrated through what’s known as works.
§ Works can be seen as religious faith “in action” – living the creeds and moral principles of your faith through service to God(s) and service to others.
§ Most religions have some component of service to others as an integral part of their beliefs. Example – many share some form of the “Golden Rule”.
Worship
§ Responding in praise and adoration to the sacred (or God) is the purpose of religious worship.
§ Takes on a variety of forms within an individual religion and often involves some sort of formal practice, or ritual. Example: Catholicism – Mass, Eucharist; Islam – structured daily prayer times
1. Sacred Time
o In most religions there are certain times of the year, week, day, etc that take on a special significance - that time is considered “holy” to them.
o Rites of passage can also be included as sacred time – rites of birth, marriage, death, coming of age, etc.
2. Sacred Spaces and Places
o Often places where the religion began, or where founders have traveled
§ Ie – Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem and Bethlehem for Christians
o Buildings such as churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc are sacred space as well as shrines and other special places in the world.
o These places act as meeting points between the human world and the sacred world. They often reflect a place where a significant spiritual encounter has happened in the past or where an encounter is expected to be ongoing.
Sources:
World Religions. Jeffrey Brodd. Pgs 16-18
Exploring the Religions of Our World. Nancy Clemmons. Pgs 9, 11-14
World Religions: People and Faith. Larry Trafford. Pgs 11-14
Exploring World Religions: The Canadian Perspective. Don Quinlan et al. Pg 6